UK Seized Nearly 10 Tons of Illegal Vapes Last Year
Credit: Mary
The number of illegal vapes seized at the border quadrupled last year as UK authorities wrestle with unlicensed imports amid a surge in youth vaping. More than 4.5 million vapes weighing nearly 10 tons were seized over the last 12 months, four times more than in 2022.
The figures were released to the BBC after a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. The government is soon to announce new rules for the industry, including a possible ban on disposable vapes.
Figures released to the BBC in response to an FOI request show that Border Force seized just 4,430 vapes in 2021, rising to 988,064 in 2022 and 4,537,689 from Jan. to Oct. 2023.
Unlike legal vapes, illegal e-cigarettes are not registered with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and do not pass through quality control processes, so they may contain harmful chemicals. And retailers prepared to flout product rules may not be scrupulous about observing the ban on selling to under-18s
A Home Office spokesperson said the government would “not tolerate the sale of illegal products and… harmful goods, such as illegal or counterfeit vapes”.